1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to buoyancy compensating jackets to be utilized by scuba divers and more particularly to a buoyancy compensating jacket which is constructed to remain snug against the body the scuba diver not only when the diver is out of the water but even when the diver is submerged to a substantial depth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of buoyancy compensating jackets by scuba divers has long been known. Typical such jackets are shown and described within a U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,334 issued Apr. 30, 1991 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,115 issued Feb. 5, 1991.
A buoyancy compensating jacket is used by a scuba diver to adjust his or her buoyancy during a dive. The buoyancy of the diver varies according to the depth the diver submerges. The buoyancy compensating jacket includes an inflatable bladder which the diver can inflate or deflate so that at a particular depth the weight of the diver will become neutral, that is, neither rise or sink in the water.
One problem with buoyancy compensating jackets in the prior art has been that as the diver goes deeper in the water, the jacket becomes looser. The reason for this is that as the diver submerges, the wetsuit on the body of the diver condenses or compacts. The greater the submergence, the greater the compaction. The buoyancy compensating jacket may fit tightly on the diver prior to the diver entering the water. For example, at a hundred feet down under the surface of the water, the jacket will be loose giving the effect to the diver that the jacket is several sizes too large. A loose-fitting jacket is not easy to control and uncomfortable to the diver.
In the past it has been known for the diver to adjust the jacket when the diver is submerged by making the jacket fit tighter. However, when the diver then rises to the surface of the water, the jacket will quickly become uncomfortable to the diver requiring immediate readjustment.
There is a need to incorporate within the buoyancy compensating jacket a device which automatically adjusts the tightness of the jacket on the diver.